The Manor Farm San Paolo is certainly one of the most important and famous in Italy, both for its history and size.
The passion for this business was passed on Francesco Basile, the owner: just like his father he was president of the Purebred Breeders National Association from 2000 to 2014.
The Murgese Horse and the Donkey of Martina Francaselection, continuously bred by the Basile Family, started in 1926 when the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the bygone Regio Deposito Stalloni di Foggia, today known as Istituto Regionale Incremento Ippico, and through the Department of Agricultural Inspectors of Bari, today known as the Regional Agricultural Department.
Considering the bad break the equine sector was suffering during the war and the strong effort made by the breeders to preserve the rare examples of these fabulous animals, after the 2nd World War it was necessary to set a real organization that could preserve these species concerning native thoroughbreds. Therefore, in 1948 Alfonso Motolese, –Founding Assembly Deputy and Mayor of Martina Franca –drove a group of 22 breeders, such as Alberico Motolese e Alfonso Basile, to promote the foundation of theThe Regional Association of Breeders of the Murge Horse and the Donkey of Martina Franca, the really first one in Italy situated in Martina Franca.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of the founding members and the managing abilities of Alberico Motolese previous president of the business from 1948 to 1975 and Alfonso Basile nextpresident from 1975 to 1995, the Association gave an important encouragement to the breed’s development and knowledge, and a modern approach to understand the idea of breeding. Particularly, the horse breed was preserved from crossbreeding and purebreds selected. This initiative together with the collaboration of the Regio Deposito Stalloni di Foggia headed that time by the high-skilled zoo technician Colonel Agostino D’Alessandro, made of the Murgese the unique Italian equine production.
In December 1956 the Association organized the 1stCompetition of the Murge Horse and the Donkey of Martina Franca Market, an event that today is still celebrated every year during the first weekend of December. The Imperial stallion from San Paolo breeding was awarded in that first edition. Over the years, the incredible cooperation to develop the Murge Horse and the Donkey of Martina Franca made possible its national evolution. In 1990, the ANAMF National Association of Breeders of the Horse of the Murgia and Donkey of Martina Franca was founded with headquarters in the same Martina Franca and headed by Alfonso Basile who was president until 1995.
